Description
The purpose of this program evaluation was to examine the academic and social emotional effects of general and special education students participating in an inclusive general educational program, the Learning Center (LC) model. This study also examined general education and special education teachers’ perceptions on effective co-teaching practices within the inclusive classroom. A total of three general education teachers, one special education teacher, 157 general education students, and 11 special education students participated in this study. The study focused on the following three program evaluation questions: (a) What are general and special education student perceptions of their academic abilities within a LC model in an elementary school setting? (b) What are the general and special education teachers’ perceptions about how to be effective co-teachers in an elementary school setting where the Learning Center model is implemented? (c) How does the experience of inclusion affect general and special education students’ social-emotional well-being? Due to COVID-19 school closures, this program evaluation was conducted during distance learning; participants were engaged in 100% virtual learning. Findings indicated both general and special education students perceived themselves capable of achieving academic success within the inclusive LC model. However, students struggled with feelings of acceptance while participating in the virtual general education inclusive classroom. Findings also indicated the acceptance of inclusive educational programs among general and special education teachers and identified that teachers perceived themselves as well equipped in supporting students in the inclusive general education setting.
